Orestis Tzirtzilakis is a third-year DPhil candidate in Medieval and Modern Languages at Merton College, Oxford. Prior to his studies at Oxford, he pursued a degree in Philosophy and the Arts, with a specialization in Film Studies, at the University of Patras and the University of Warwick. 

His research intersects the disciplines of Philosophy and Cultural Studies. His doctoral thesis, titled "A Cultural Genealogy of Modern Greek Hysteria, 19th–20th Century," examines the ways in which specific cultural texts engage with the medical discourse surrounding hysteria, challenging both the established historical narratives of the disorder and the broader construction of national identity in Greece. The thesis argues that hysteria is frequently over-appropriated by artistic practices, serving as a site where various discourses on national identity and belonging intersect and diverge. His thesis analyzes instances in which hysteria is represented in cultural texts that disrupt conventional narratives of 'Greekness' and the notion of the 'Nation.' This exploration includes a diverse range of examples, from the works of national poet Dionysios Solomos and 19th-century literature to the performances of actor Thanasis Veggos in 20th-century cinema and performance art in the 1980s.